Voting machine

ABSTRACT

An electrically operated voting system having a plurality of voting machine stations and a central vote accumulating register. The voting machine and register are of modular construction and may be readily programmed to satisfy the requirements of general, open and closed primary, and other type elections. Each voting machine includes a number of interlock circuits which prevent a voter from selecting a number of condidates in excess of that permitted; and also prevent a voter from casting more than one vote for a respective candidate; yet permit that a voter may reconsider and cancel a selection already made and vote for another candidate of his choice. Additionally, each machine is substantially fail-safe in that it may not normally continue to operate should a malfunction occur, and, when a malfunction occurs, the election official is immediately made aware of it and no votes already cast and sought to be registered by a voter will be lost.

United States Patent [1 1 Martin et al. July 10, 1973 VOTING MACHINE Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky [75] Inventorsfi m yg i gg ggzzg a NY; AttrneyStrauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies & Kurz Anatolijus Jazbutis, Sunnyvale, Calif.; Guy L. Fougere, Lincoln, [57] ABSTRACT Mass.; Donald B. Rising, Stow, An electrically operated voting system having a plural- G C. K G i ity of voting machine stations and a central vote accu- Arcipnte, both f Lexington, Mass; mulating register. The voting machine and register are d Svendsen B df d Mass, of modular construction and may be readily programmed to satisfy the requirements of general, open [73] ASsgnee: AVM Corponuon, Jamestown and closed primary, and other type elections. Each vot- 22 Filed; Fell 10 1970 ing machine includes a number of interlock circuits which prevent a voter from selecting a number of con- [211 APPL No; 10,264 didates in excess of that permitted; and also prevent a voter from casting more than one vote for a respective 52 U.S. Cl. 235/54 F candidate; y permit that a voter y reconsider and [51] Int. Cl G07c 13/00 cancel a Selection already made and Vote for another 581 Field of Search 235/54 F, 50 R candidate of his choice Additionally, each machine is substantially fail-safe in that it may not normally con- 5 Reerences Cited tinue to operate should a malfunction occur, and, when UNITED STATES PATENTS a malfunction occurs, the election official is immediately made aware of it and no votes already cast and g sought to be registered by a voter will be lost. 3,214,091 10/1965 Clark 235/ R 11 Claims, 47 Drawing Figures (WVERSAL CANDIDET'E MOUJLE) ENDORSED CANDlDATE TEBAINAL (FRONT) C4 GRUJP OFFICE ERROR SENSE E-Q22 GROLND 7 CURRENT LlMlTED BJS VOTE s 6 OFFICE m 130a 3 l N OF M ERASE I33 .20

a E STRAIGHT TICKET l l l IE REGISTER N OF M VOTE I I l l l l l l II I INTERLOCK PAIENIEB JUL 1 0 ma 4 HMS/ZS AFTON V MARTIN MICHAEL T. MOLDOVAN ANATOLIJUS 'JAZBUTIS GUY L. FOUGERE DONALD B RISING GARY C. KOGER GENIO R. ARCIPRETE NOEL SVENDSEN PATENIEDJUUOIQIS 3.744.713

SHEET 0'; OF 26 E =5 GROUP OFFICE ERRoR SENSE l9 J 5 92 94 C N M m (SINGLECFFICECANDIDATE MODULE) 20 I N OF M VOTE VOTE 66 IT STRAIGHT TCKET me REGISTER 88 CANCEL REED 68 OFFICE 8+ |2v ERASE 3 INTERLOCK |2 @-o13 J @-|4 N OFM (OFFICE EXTENSION MODULE) VOTE A9 0|? N OFM VOTE N OFM ERASE --02o N OFM ERASE mom GHT 9405 Cg TmmALs T'CKET INTERLOCK 00-4v -0l2 INTERLOCK mou omcz GROUP OFFICE mam sass E -M- s ERROR SENSE CFFICE B+ F -T .3 OFFICE 5+ F STRAIGHT TICKET E T22 GROUND 00- I A. 4 M%W%W ATTORNEYS PAIENIED JUL 1 0 I91;

sum as ur 6 PATENIED JUL 1 0191s saw DBUF 26 JO V AC NPUT PATENIEDJULIOISB 3,744,713

SHEET 090? 26 (RE ER SUPPLY) VOLTAGE SUPPRESSOR HOV. I

2 704 OUT ATTORNEYS PAIENIED JUL 1 0 I975 wmm ummm ATTORNEYS PAIENIEU JUL 1 0192s M M W @Zaa/ 09M,

ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUU 0191a SEE! 1501 2 ATTORNEYS PAIENIED III I 0 I973 SHEET 15 8F 26 Z Y RE SCANNER (REGISTER COUNTERS) IIOVDf GROUND GROLND FIRST W *18 PIN 1 SECOND CANDIDATE MoouLE I8 PIN 1 5'- (wRlTElNAREA'LOGlC) C R42 8 wznzfi A R B +I2v 5 2- CURRENT LIMITEDZI ABAI B R4 I RDR WRITE-IN R37 8 +I2 l,2o-

EXIT Io (LOWER DOOR) I L +I2v. I,2.- {m V DETENT TDR5 -l g 555 SOLENOID EXIT 8 (RELEASE DETENT AND PRINT) 1 l I I I I l +12 g2 mmnu e l 27 9coLuII/IN I6ROW E70 7 ATTORNEYS v PATENIED JUL 1 0191s SIEET 180k 26 ATTORNEYS PAIENTEDJUL 1 0:915 I 3.744.713

sum 19 0F 26 

1. A voting machine of the electrically operated type comprising, voter-actuatable switch means representing a specific vote such as a candidate for an office, an electrical relay operated latch means including a relay having a coil and a contact, said coil being energizable by votEr effected actuation of said switch means to close said contact and provide preliminary storage of such specific vote, means effective subsequent to the energization of said coil to transfer and register said pre-stored vote for the candidate associated with said switch means and to deenergize said coil, and voteractuatable vote erasing means selectively operable before transfer of said vote to deenergize said coil and open said contact, thereby deleting the pre-stored vote and permitting the voter to again cast his vote.
 2. A voting machine of the electrically operated type comprising a voter-actuatable switch means representing a specific vote such as a candidate for an office, an electrical relay operated latch means associated with said voter-actuated switch means and energizable by voter effected actuation of said switch means to provide preliminary storage of such specific vote, said relay operated latch means including a normally open contact and a coil capable of generating a magnetic field which will maintain said contact in a closed vote storage position when current is flowing through the coil, means effective subsequent to the energization of said coil to transfer and register said pre-stored vote for the candidate associated with said switch means and to deenergize said coil, and voter-actuatable vote erasing means selectively operable before transfer of said vote to deenergize the latch means, said vote erasing means comprising an erase coil capable when energized of producing a magnetic field opposed to that of the coil of said latch means and means for energizing said erase coil, whereby, when said erasing means is actuated, the erase coil produces a magnetic field which cancels the magnetic field of the coil in the latch means and allows the contact of said latch means to return to its normally open position, thereby deleting the pre-stored vote and permitting the voter to again cast his vote.
 3. A single office candidate module used to represent a candidate for a single elective office comprising: first electrical circuit means including a normally open, voter actuatable voting switch means and a latch coil energizable upon closure of said voting switch means; second electrical circuit means including a normally open latch switch closed upon energization of said latch coil, and a holding coil energized upon closure of said latch switch to maintain said latch switch in a closed position and thereby pre-register a vote within the module for the respective candidate represented by the module; and voter actuatable vote erasing means in said second circuit means operative upon voter actuation thereof to deenergize said holding coil and thereby open said latch switch to cancel the vote within the module and permit the voter to again cast his vote.
 4. A single office candidate module as defined in claim 1, said second circuit means including indicator means operative upon closure of said latch switch to indicate that a vote is registered within said module.
 5. A single office candidate module as defined in claim 1, said second electrical circuit means including a register coil adapted to be electrically connected to a central register upon completion of the voting process of an individual voter, said register coil upon energization thereof being effective to cancel the holding power of said holding coil, thereby opening said latch switch and resetting the module for operation by the next voter.
 6. A universal candidate module useful in either a single elective office or a group office comprising: first electrical circuit means including a normally open voter actuatable voting switch means and a first latch coil energized upon actuation of said voting switch means; second electrical circuit means including a first latch switch closed upon energization of said first latch coil, a second latch coil, a second latch switch, said second latch coil being energized upon closure of said first latch switch to close said second latch switch, a holding coil for said second latch switch energizable upon closure of said second latch switch to register a vote within said candidate module for the respective candidate represented by said module, voter actuatable erase means effective upon actuation thereof to open said second latch switch and cancel the vote registered within said module; and selector switch means positionable in first or second positions to effect operation of said second circuit means for use in either a single elective office or a group office.
 7. A universal candidate module as defined in claim 6, said second circuit means including indicator means operative upon closure of said second latch switch to indicate that a vote is registered within said module.
 8. The universal candidate module as defined in claim 6, said voter actuatable erase means comprising a normally open voter actuatable erase switch and a third latch coil energized upon closure of said erase switch, a third switch, an unlatch coil, said third switch upon energization of said third coil being closed to energize said unlatch coil which then cancels the holding effect of said holding coil permitting said second latch switch to open.
 9. A universal candidate module as defined in claim 8, said second circuit means including a holding coil for said first latch switch and a holding coil for said third switch, said selector switch means being operative to bypass said holding coils of said first and third switches when it is in a closed single office position and to place said holding coils of said first and third switches in electrical circuit when it is in an open group office position.
 10. A universal candidate module as defined in claim 9, said second circuit means comprising a register coil adapted to be electrically connected to a central register at the end of an individual voting process and to cancel the holding effect of said holding coil for said second latch switch, thereby opening said second latch switch and returning said module to a voter operative condition.
 11. A universal candidate module as defined in claim 10, said second circuit means including indicator means operative upon closure of said second latch switch to indicate that a vote is registered in said module. 